Get Shorty is getting added to the ranks of films like Fargo, Minority Report and Limitless— it’s being reimagined as a TV series. Epix has ordered the 10-episode series from Davey Holmes, based on Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel of the same name and respective 1995 movie starring John Travolta.
The hour-long dark comedy series will tell the story of a Nevada mobster who makes a career change to movie producer in the interest of his daughter, only to find that he’s taken his dangerous work with him to Los Angeles. Deadline reports a quote from MGM TV’s Mark Burnett and Steve Starks: “Davey has created a modern-day re-envisioning of Elmore Leonard’s timeless cult classic where organized crime and Hollywood collide in very funny ways.”
The youngest of the premium cable channels, Epix is taking its first steps into original content by having each of its three partners—Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount—produce a series. The channel will be premiering its first two original series later this year, a Lionsgate comedy called Graves and a spy drama, Berlin Station, produced by Paramount Television. Get Shorty is under MGM Television and will begin production this fall with a slated air date of summer 2017.
Holmes formerly worked as a writer/producer on series including Shameless, Pushing Daisies and Happy Town. Get Shorty will be his first “created by” credit. The Get Shorty film was well-received by critics and audiences, earning Travolta a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and a Best Screenplay nomination.